What to Expect During Your Recovery from Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric sleeve surgery is an effective way for patients struggling with obesity to conquer their weight problems. It involves making the stomach much smaller than usual, which prevents patients from overeating. If you’re considering having gastric sleeve surgery near Houston, your first step is to visit a weight loss clinic. A bariatric surgeon can help you understand what you can expect from the recovery process.

Discomfort You can expect to remain in the hospital for one to two days following gastric sleeve surgery. During this time, the nurse can administer pain medications to prevent you from feeling discomfort. Be sure to let your healthcare team know if your pain is not well controlled. When you return home, you’ll have a prescription for pain relievers. Be sure to follow the dosage instructions carefully.

Incision Care The bariatric surgeon may instruct you to wait to shower until 48 hours after surgery and to avoid baths, pools, and hot tubs for four weeks. You’ll need to keep the dressing completely dry for the first 48 hours. The healthcare team may instruct you to remove the top dressing after 48 hours. Underneath, you may have Steri-Strips or surgical glue. These will come off by themselves eventually. Follow the nurse’s instructions for cleansing the incision sites.

Diet Immediately after gastric sleeve surgery, you’ll be on a clear liquid diet. The bariatric surgeon may instruct you to switch to thicker liquids after you are discharged. Later, you can begin eating small amounts of pureed or blended foods. Even when you are able to eat non-pureed foods, your calorie intake will be severely restricted because the size of your stomach has been greatly reduced. You’ll need to stick with small portion sizes, take small bites, and chew your food thoroughly.

Physical Activity Your bariatric surgeon will provide personalized guidance regarding your physical activity. You’ll likely be out of bed and walking around not long after the surgery. However, you’ll need to refrain from strenuous physical activity for a while.